This site is maintained by the Ottawa Orienteering Club to inform members and interested parties on our club activities as well as about the sport in general. Please
Join us in the woods or city parks
The Ottawa Orienteering Club (OOC) is a group of outdoor sports enthusiasts who organize and take part in orienteering events of various kinds in the National Capital area. We welcome members and newcomers alike to our meets. We encourage you to come out to learn about our high speed navigation sport, to improve your map and compass skills for your next adventure run, or to simply enjoy a hike or run in our parks and woodlands. Still not sure about the sport. Read this article from a few years back about one of the events.
How do you get started?
Just show up at any of the scheduled "B" or summer solstice events , mention to the registrar you are new and would like some help. Someone will be happy to show you the basic skills and how to complete an orienteering course. Visit the "What is Orienteering" page for a sample orienteering course.
When you finish!
One never finishes the orienteering experience because every event is unique. New locations, different terrain, longer/shorter courses, easier/harder navigational challenges, etc. are an integral part of the sport. Getting involved with the club and organizing your own events are also part of the fun.
Be sure to report to the finish after each event - we are very safety conscious. As our meet directors like to get home for Sunday dinner, all Sunday courses will be closed at 2 PM and flags will be picked up at that time. Be sure to report back by 2pm.
Orienteering is a lifetime sport for many of us. We have a strong junior program and a very active adult group of all ages.
Is an orienteering map different from other maps?
Maps used for orienteering are, indeed, quite different from your road map or your topo map. North points to magnetic north so no worries about declanation. The scale is usually 1:10,000 meaning 1 cm. on the map represents only 100 meters on the ground. This allows the mapper space to include many details, cliffs, boulders, pits, distinct vegetation changes, to name a few. Then a course gets drawn on the map, a course specific to the skill level of the target group of participants. The two links below show courses used recently in Stoney Swamp, one of intermediate level and one of advanced level. As you can see, it is quite a jump from the intermediate to the advanced. The participants must navigate much further into the woods and look for smaller features. Have a look: Intermediate map and advance. The control descriptions for intermediate and advanced are quite explicit but are written as international symbols defined here
Latest News
Be sure to get your entries in for the OFest. Deadline for entries is May 11.
Congratulations to Eric Kemp who came second, missing by a mere 38 seconds, at the very tough long event of the West Point.
The spring training program and the Junior program are now posted.
Read the comments made by world champion Thierry Gueorgiou as he referred to Emily Kemp and her dreams.
Various pictures from past meets